Learn how to cook meatballs from frozen in your Crock Pot, complete with a delicious Swedish meatball gravy made with my microwave roux.
If you like this recipe, check out my Frozen Chicken in the Crockpot next!
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Easy dinners are my saving grace on most days. I love using help from the frozen food section. Meatballs are a favorite in my household, so today I’m showing you how to cook frozen meatballs in your slow cooker (Crock-Pot). Obvious sauce choices might be marinara for dinner, or grape jelly meatballs for the perfect appetizer.
But I’m giving you an original recipe to make delicious Swedish style meatballs too! The gravy is thickened with my own method for making a microwave roux with butter and flour. The roux can be mixed with any number of ingredients to make a delicious, thick and rich sauce or gravy.
How long to cook frozen meatballs in the Crock Pot
Cook frozen meatballs in the Crock Pot on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for about 4 hours. They are done when they reach an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F. There is no need to thaw them first.
Sauce ideas for frozen meatballs in the Crock Pot
Frozen meatballs work with just about any sauce. Here are some favorites –
- Swedish style – My homemade creamy gravy, made with a microwave roux. The full recipe is in the recipe card below.
- Marinara – Perfect for serving over pasta or piling onto rolls for meatball subs.
- Grape jelly – A classic, sweet and tangy party appetizer. It’s usually paired with chili sauce.
- Barbecue sauce – Easy for game day. Serve the meatballs with toothpicks.
More microwave roux crock pot recipes
Why this recipe works
Most frozen meatballs you can buy at your local grocery store are precooked. The low and slow heat of the Crock-Pot helps to keep the meatballs moist as they heat up to a safe temperature for eating. But, you can also cook uncooked meatballs from frozen! The key is making sure to cook the meatballs to a finished temperature of at least 165 degrees F.
Ingredients for crock pot frozen meatballs (with a homemade swedish meatball sauce)
- Frozen Meatballs – Any type or brand of frozen meatballs will work for this recipe. But I tested this homemade sauce recipe with a 12 oz package of Kroger brand flame broiled turkey meatballs.
- Butter – Melted butter combined with flour and heated in the microwave makes a microwave roux, which beautifully thickens sauces and gravies in the slow cooker.
- Flour – Use all-purpose flour here. I have not tested this recipe with gluten-free flour. If you do, please tell us in the comments how it works.
- Beef Broth – 20 ounces of broth is needed for this recipe. I chose to use a combination of beef broth and beef consommé. But you can use all beef broth instead.
- Cherry Jam – I like the combination of sweet and savory in this sauce. Traditional Swedish meatballs are served with lingonberry jam. A good substitute for that is cherry or cranberry. And instead of serving it on the side, I mix it right into the sauce to cook with the meatballs. It’s delicious!
- Worcestershire Sauce – Adds good, savory flavor to the sauce.
- Dijon Mustard – Gives bright and zingy notes of flavor to the sauce.
- Sour Cream – Often I prefer to stir in sour cream at the end to thicken cream sauces, instead of using heavy cream. Sour cream adds less calories than cream without sacrificing flavor.
- Pepper – I thought only pepper was needed for seasoning, but you can add salt too if you want. I just thought the finished sauce was salty enough because of the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce.
Instructions for making crock pot frozen meatballs
Open the packaging and empty the frozen meatballs into the insert of your slow cooker. Top them with the sauce of your choice. Place the lid on your slow cooker and cook the meatballs together with the sauce on low heat for 6 – 8 hours. Or you can cook them on high heat for about 4 hours.
If you’re making the Swedish meatball sauce recipe that I am providing, scroll down to the recipe card for full instructions.
Serving suggestions
There’s a lot of options for how to serve meatballs cooked in the Crock-Pot. Besides the recipe for Swedish style meatballs I’ve provided for you, here’s some other great recipes to check out…
FAQ’s
Should frozen meatballs be thawed before cooking?
No there is no need to thaw either precooked or raw meatballs before cooking them in your Crock-Pot (slow cooker). I’ve successfully cooked frozen chicken and turkey breast in my slow cooker with wonderful results. Again, the most important part of cooking frozen, raw meat is the final temperature. Ground meat and poultry is safe to eat once it has reached a minimum temperature of 165 degrees F.
What temperature should meatballs be heated to?
Meatballs, whether starting off as precooked or frozen, need to reach a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F in order to be safe to eat.
Storage directions
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. I don’t recommend refreezing the meatballs after you’ve cooked them in the slow cooker.
Kitchen tools
- I use a 6-quart Crock-Pot similar to this one to test all of my recipes
- Use an instant read digital thermometer similar to this one to check the internal temperature of your meatballs before serving
Crock Pot Frozen Meatballs
Equipment
- 1 6-quart Crock Pot
Ingredients
- 12 oz frozen meatballs
- 3 tbsp butter melted
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 20 oz beef broth
- 1/4 cup cherry preserves
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Open the bag and dump the meatballs into your Crock-Pot.
- In a microwavable bowl or glass measuring cup, melt the butter.
- Add the flour and microwave on high power for one minute. Whisk, and microwave for one more minute. Whisk again and microwave for one additional minute.
- The flour and butter mixture will be bubbly. Whisk in the beef broth until smooth.
- Add the cherry preserves, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard and pepper. Whisk again.
- Pour the sauce over the frozen meatballs.
- Cover and cook on low heat for 6 - 8 hours until the sauce is thickened.
- Stir in the sour cream until smooth. Keep warm until ready to serve.
- The meatballs need to have an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F before eating.
- Serve the meatballs and sauce over mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles, with a side of green beans for a complete meal.
Nutrition
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Amy Yamamoto says
Wow its a great and best crock pot frozen meatballs!
Lauren says
Hi! Would this work cooked on high for a shorter time?
Thanks!
foodtasticmom says
Yes it will work just fine. The meatballs just need to reach 165 degrees F.
Ahmad says
Had this for dinner tonight, and it was a hit! Definitely a new family favorite—so flavorful and delicious!
Bobbie says
I want to cook meatballs with beef broth and rice a roni. Is this possible without putting all the sauces fixings?
foodtasticmom says
Rice typically takes 1 1/2 to 2 hours to cook on high in a slow cooker. So put it in timed accordingly, not right at the start with the frozen meatballs.
Rebecca says
I am making this tonight and so excited! I did not have an all-purpose flour on hand so I used Almond flour to make the Roux–it looked like it worked perfectly fine to me as I microwaved it–a nice looking Roux! I also used cranberry preserves instead of cherry. I will try to remember to report back to let you know how it turned out! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
foodtasticmom says
I’m happy to know that the recipe will work with other types of flour. That’s helpful for other readers to know that. I’m so glad you like the recipe, you’re welcome!
Ieva says
Never had frozen meatballs that tasted this good! Superb recipe, as always 🙂
foodtasticmom says
Thank you so much!!
Sara Welch says
Enjoyed this for dinner tonight and it was a savory success! Easily, a new family favorite recipe; delicious!
foodtasticmom says
Wonderful to hear this Sara, thank you!
Gianne says
I absolutely love using this for quick and easy meals. They are so convenient and always turn out deliciously tender. Just toss them in with your favorite sauce and let them cook all day. Perfect for busy days!
foodtasticmom says
Yes, and what days aren’t busy anymore, right? I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Emily says
This was amazing and so easy to make! I love that I can make these delicious meatballs in the slow cooker. Your microwave roux is brilliant, thank you for sharing it!
foodtasticmom says
You’re welcome!
Ali says
This was my first time cooking frozen meatballs in the slow cooker and it turned out so well! Love the flavoring, will be making these again!
foodtasticmom says
So glad this recipe was successful for you Ali. Thanks for taking the time to rate and review!
Yu says
Yum! That looks delicious! I can’t wait to try making this at home. Thanks for sharing!
foodtasticmom says
Enjoy!